How can you explore math and statistics at Cornell College?
You'll start by learning what differentiates theoretical mathematics (sometimes referred to as pure math), applied math, and statistics.
The theoretical mathematician sees beauty in abstract math theories. Curiosity is the driving force of a theoretical mathematician. What if …?—and their work begins with a question or an idea and in the end (if there is ever an end) their work may not be applied to any concrete, real-world problem. Theorists gravitate towards careers in research and academia, where they can pass on their ideas to the next generation of mathematical masters. On the other hand, sometimes by following the mathematician’s muse, world-changing applications like the computer, become a reality not just a heavenly idea. (Thanks, Alan Turing.)
An expert in applied mathematics solves tangible problems, down here on earth. Their initial impetus is a real-world problem and they apply quantitative techniques towards practical solutions. You’ll find applied mathematicians in a diverse array of fields—engineering, physics, biology, sociology, economics—as they get the job done across many different industries.
For example, you might work with a team to find the optimal arrangement of housing designs in an apartment complex or serve as expert witnesses in assessing the safety of a local skate park. And in Data Analytics, which is team-taught by professors of statistics and computer science, you can learn sophisticated ways to work with, analyze, and visualize data.
A statistician builds a story built on data, in this field you’re analyzing data in order to discover patterns—patterns that tell a story. Some mystics might say that a statistician is like a fortune teller, but instead of peering into a crystal ball, you’ll dig into carefully documented research. Get comfortable working across a swath of interdisciplinary fields as you work with the spreadsheets of data pertinent to the subject matter at hand. More and more organizations are focused on data-driven decision making, the demand for which has caused us to offer a major that caters to this need, which is the area of applied statistics.
Cornell Summer Research Institute: Sentiment Analysis
Two Cornell students and professors teamed up on what might seem like an unlikely research project–they used sentiment analysis to examine why the subject matter of an 18th century romance author changed throughout her career.
Comparisons like these, where researchers tackle questions that pair quantitative analysis with gender politics, is one of the powerhouses of the liberal arts–asking questions across disciplines for deeper insight into how people and culture work.
Mathematics courses and degree requirements
If you have an interest in mathematics, you could earn your B.A. or a combination of majors and minors.
- Major or minor in mathematics.
- Minor in applied mathematics.
- Major in education with a secondary certification to teach mathematics.
- Minor in applied statistics.
One of the advantages of studying mathematics at a small liberal arts school is that connections are easily made across disciplines, and One Course At A Time makes it easy to dedicate a month or more to independent projects. Math majors have tackled projects on bioinformatics, the mathematical modeling of HIV, Galois theory, and applying the neuroscience of learning to the introductory statistics classroom.
Mathematics capstone
The capstone experience for a Major in Mathematics emphasizes experiential learning and is a writing intensive course. These two courses comprise an individual creative project completed in a cooperative learning environment.
Research with mathematics and statistics
All math majors, especially those considering graduate school, are encouraged to participate in research projects. You have the opportunity to work closely with faculty during summer research projects on campus or to engage in programs at other institutions. Cornell's block plan also makes it easy to pursue or expand research projects through independent study.
As a student researcher, you not only seek answers to novel questions, you also decide what questions interest you and determine how best to address them. Recent research projects have included:
- Healthcare data research to find patterns in misdiagnosis
- Cellular automata clusters
- Elliptic curves
- Sports analytics related to youth archery
- Menger sponge in n-dimensions
- History of the Gamma function
Off-campus research opportunities
Students of mathematics have been successful in landing summer or semester-long research placements at a variety of prestigious institutions including the Aquincum Institute of Technology in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Albert Einstein Institute in Hannover, Germany. Others have completed summer research at places like Harvard University, the University of Nebraska, the University of Iowa, the University of Pittsburgh, and Rutgers University.
Internships in mathematics and statistics
Complete an internship where you can apply your classroom skills in a professional setting. Students have recently taken part in internships and fellowships at AEGON, the National Cancer Institute, and BCS Inc.
What you take away from your internship might surprise you. Aras Yilmaz completed start-up research at Aquillius Corporation in San Diego CA. When he reflected on what he gained from his experience he said “I surely learned a lot by being assigned with developing software and conducting tests on a medical device, and I believe these were the most important parts of my experience. What surfaced first, however, were the people I met who inspired me to do better, think bigger, and act more boldly.”
What are Cornell students doing in internships? Check out their blogs
Business and Finance Science and Research Computer Science & Information Technology
Career opportunities for mathematicians
In our data-driven society, our graduates find their skills in demand for roles such as business analysts, actuaries, statisticians, and web developers. Others have been successful in graduate programs as varied as economics, applied statistics, physics, and computational biology.
Graduates of Cornell programs have attended graduate schools such as Vanderbilt University, Bowling Green State University, Harvard University, Stanford University, and MIT.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, mathematicians with a bachelor’s degree who pursue jobs as actuaries, data scientists, and research analysts earn media pay from $90,000-$125,000. And the median annual wage was $104,260 as of their last study in May 2024.
The Berry Career Institute can help you identify what you’ll pursue with your advanced knowledge of mathematics and statistics.
Careers in Business and Finance Careers in Science and Research Careers in Computer Science and Information Technology
Husani Newbold, Class of 2018
Data analytics major